SRI LANKA’S GENERAL ELECTION ON AUGUST 05

Sri Lanka will hold its general election on 5th August, after postponing them twice over the coronavirus pandemic.

“The parliamentary elections that was due on June 20, will be held on Aug. 5,” Mahinda Deshapriya, chairman of Sri Lanka’s Elections Commission, told reporters on Wednesday.

Chairman of the commission Mahinda Deshapriya also said that the members of the Election Commission unanimously decided to hold the 2020 General Election on August 05.

The Election Commission is comprised of Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, and members Nalin Abeysekara and Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole.

He stated that the relevant gazette notification has been signed and sent to the Government Printer. The commission had previously issued the gazette indicating preferential numbers of the candidates

Commission member Ratnajeevan Hoole said the date will give the sufficient time for preparations under health guidelines.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved Parliament in March 2020.  The election had originally been scheduled for April 26, but was postponed due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.  It was rescheduled for 20th June and now postponed to 5th of August folowing the assurances from health authorities to have the election

Sri Lanka has reported over 1800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths so far from the disease caused by the virus. The nation sealed its borders and imposed a nationwide lockdown, along with a curfew in certain areas to rein in the spread of the virus.